The Exception
by levysenpai
Summary: Since a young age Levy was taught to not trust humans, until that day one boy showed her that there were exceptions. PirateFairyAU Gajevy


Hello! this is a fic based on Rboz's FairyPirate AU pic! You can view it at her tumblr rboz . tumblr . com. I fell in love with it and just had to write something based on it! so I hope everyone likes it.

You can view this also on my writing tumblr writingissues . tumblr . com

(c) Mashima

* * *

><p>Levy remembers the first time she met him it was a cloudy day and she had wondered off from her family into the local village, she was tiny even for a fairy so she hoped that maybe no one would notice her. She was always fascinated by humans but was warned to never go near them, that they were dangerous and to never be trusted because once a fairy met a human it would only end in their death and despair.<p>

She would learn the hard way that they were right.

It hurt as the small humans pulled on her wings Levy tried desperately to get away only causing more pain for her and laughter for them. It was like she was some kind of insect to toy with, that it didn't matter that she was a living creature. Her pain was funny more so as she felt her body stiffen and pain shoot through her shoulder like a knife, she could feel her back become sticky and wet and the roar of their talk and laughter.

Levy was going to die or be kidnapped and never see her family again, and all these thoughts ran through her mind as tears started to pour out of her eyes as she yelled pleading them to stop and then that's when she heard his voice and she was free.

On the ground watching as this other small human ran and started to fight with the other kids and winning at that as well! It was amazing, her big brown eyes grew wider that she didn't even take the chance to leave, her body immobile by her injuries or the fact that a human was defending her. The others ran off and he stood there panting, he had wild black hair and light brown skin and as he turned to her she gasped at his red eyes and what seemed like metal on his face.

"Ya alright?" he came closer bending down and staring at her, "Pa never told me fairies were this small." He laughed as she glared at him and slowly he picked her up smiling at her. Levy felt her face burn as she stared up at him, not even fairies would have done that for her but this human seemed to be the exception of the rule she had been taught all her life until that moment. "Gajeel."

"G-jeel." She said slowly never have spoken the human language, fairies had the incredible ability to speak and know all languages from just hearing them once even able to read and write in them. Also had the ability to "mimic" or "shape shift" into other creatures, of course this was only makeup they couldn't do anything the original creature could do. Of course this ability is why fairies were so sought after by humans and other creatures, many turned into slaves or hunted for their body parts so it was now rare to meet a fairy, especially one still so tiny and new. "I'm Levy." She said slowly smiling at him.

It was love at first sight for Levy and what would motivate her for the rest of her life to meet him again and repay him.

It would be years before she saw him again.

Fairies didn't have a sense of time so it didn't seem like long had passed before she saw him again, which is why she almost didn't recognize him. The smiling little boy with bandage on his nose was now gone, now stood at the ship power was a very tall man, his skin a darker brown and his hair longer and dreaded a bit wearing a huge headband to keep it back, his face had more piercings along his nose and ears and even his arms! Levy was sure it couldn't be him, maybe his father? But as she watched him even as the years had changed him lines on his face from frowning and worry his red eyes darker and narrower, no trust in them or laughter.

It was Gajeel.

Levy was small for a fairy but now she was full grown and had taken the shape of a human, to travel and gain knowledge of all humans and creatures not wanting the fear of what could happen to her to hold her back. But as she watched him hearing the whispers of what he and now what seemed like a humanoid panther walking next to him laughing, that he was now known to be a "pirate" and was stopping to collect his death family's money before leaving for good was something Levy could not understand. But it didn't stop her as she walked forward her clothes changing to that she had seen female human pirates wear, and walking up to him.

"Gajeel!" and she stopped in her tracks as he turned and glared at her Levy felt herself faulty a bit, the now healed and scared wound on her back burned slightly for some reason and her wings twitched. Making her eyes grow wide realizing what she had just done, since that time she was injured she didn't have the ability to hide her wings, or really even use them.

They were useless and stood out.

Gajeel walked to her and Levy wondered if it was a good idea, many things had changed since that moment in the forest and nothing of that smiling boy seemed to be left but she stood strong. Her jaw tightening as she waited and her brown eyes narrowing as he stood in front of her before his face coming inches in front of her causing Levy stop step back gasping. "Yer a fairy what are ya doing out here ya idiot?" his voice was deep and rumpled all through her but Levy took a breath in and out.

"I want to join your crew." She said strongly returning his glare as she straightened up. "I'm a fairy but you will be dead out there without someone who can talk to the sirens and mermaids, the giants over the mountains, the gorgons on the Isles of Statues, which isn't a very clever name." she laughed not noticing the look he was giving her as he crossed his arms and she rambled on, "the mermaids and sirens are different sirens will sing and show you your deepest desire and take a hold of you and kill you while mermaids are different in that regard and can be kinder but if you get in the water with them they'll drag you down and down you." She breathed "and did you know the ogres that roam the mainland can talk to you in such a way you can and would cook yourself-" at that moment he put his hand over her mouth irritated

"Shut up I get yer point!" at that moment before she could reply he grabbed her and hulled her over his shoulder as he yelled out to his partner, "Oi! Lily I got us that damn navigator yer been nagging me to get!"

"Hey! What the!" she banned her hands against his back, "That is no way to carry a woman!"

"Ya ain't a woman yer a fairy and a pirate that shit don't matter to me." He replied callously back looking back at her, Levy couldn't help but blush. Gender didn't really matter to fairies either but she liked the identification of being a human female than anything but at the same time it was refreshing to hear that it seemed different from both humans and fairies. Even with the rough attitude and cocky way to talk it seemed that specialness that attracted her as a child was there, that he was different and the exception to the rule.

Gajeel was her exception.

"Gajeel that isn't how you hold a lady." A deep voice interrupted her thoughts as she was "put" (thrown gently) onto the ground she looked up to see not the humanoid panther she expected, but a small version of him flying above her with a very serious look on his face wearing a green bandana. Levy wasn't sure what had come over her as she reached up and grabbed him hugging him.

"You're so cute!"

"Oi! What the hell are ya doing! Lily!" but Lily didn't move shocked by the suddenly of this fairy woman hugging him his bod warm and he ignored Gajeel's yelling. He hated being treated by a cat or petted because of his small form he took to save magic but as she petted him talking to him he didn't mind this strange blue hair fairy doing it.

"My name is Levy. I'm sorry." She said letting him go looking down. Lily cleared his throat and patted her on the head.

"Its fine, we need to be going do you have anything to bring?"

Levy shook her head. "I have no possessions." This was her restart and freedom as she walked onto the ship looking out onto the ocean and feeling the saltiness of the wind against her cheeks and hearing the yells and talking of the other crew members.

It would be years before she would return.

Gajeel didn't like her.

Gajeel didn't like fairies or magical creatures or even humans. Gajeel didn't like anyone but himself and his cat and best friend Panther Lily. He had been raised by a dragon who had taken human form to serve the king and married an old hag of a teacher with her brat kid to establish himself. Gajeel hated it and would leave home whenever he could and play in the woods and that was when he first met her when some punk kids where trying to kill her talking about how much they could get for such a runt of a fairy.

He would get in a load of trouble later since those kids had pretty important parents but Gajeel didn't regret it as he stared at his hand that was injured earlier that day now healed. Fairies were rare and could set you for life if you caught one but Gajeel never let it slip out that he knew where one lived. Not even when his father fell from grace and they lost almost everything and when they were forced to leave to the mainland.

He never saw that fairy again until now.

She was going through the gold they had required from merchant ships they had robbed, of course the fairy just made sure they only robbed leaving the merchants unharmed. Not that Gajeel minded really but it was strange how she held him back from stabbing a guy her brown eyes angry at him as she was almost able to throw him with a strength that could not exist in such a small and petite body, but she did and he could feel his chest tighten as he thought about it. He didn't want to be that kind of person, and after the few weeks out on sea with her he didn't want her to think of him as that kind of human either.

Not that he cared of course.

But he watched her as she ran her hands through the chests of coins and the dresses and clothes and whatnot they pilfered, he didn't care really as the crew drank and cheered and Lily sorted through the loot hiding it away. Gajeel's red eyes studied her watching as she moved and how delicate she looked under the sun her skin pale with a green tint under it showing how shoddy her magic was becoming the father they were from trees and land, the scar on her back a darker green and her wings shinning in the sunlight he reached out and touched her.

"Eeep!" she jumped looking at him eyes wide, "d-did you need something." He just glared at her before looking away his face burning.

"We're goin' to stay on land in a few hours right." She linked confused as she nodded, "yer skin turning green we can't go to the city and get ya kidnapped I don't have the time to get another navigator." She looked down then and up her eyes narrowed.

"It'll be fine, Captain I can take care of myself." And she turned and walked away.

"She's not going to like you if you talk to her like that Gajeel." Lily's haughty voice broke through his thoughts as he laughed and Gajeel just cursed and walked off not needing the overgrown flying cat to mock him and he did not like her!

Gajeel Redfox did not need anyone.

Especially a fairy.

The Fairy was gone much longer than she should have been, Gajeel paced on the deck hands behind his back as he kept staring into the woods. The worthless crews had made camp fires on the beach and were drinking and eating, she had mentioned to she was going to find a watering hole and bath and replenish herself but that seemed like hours ago.

He was an idiot she was almost all the way green as she left this island had people in the careless fool probably got herself kidnapped not understanding the real danger that was out there for her kind. In that moment Gajeel ran down the loading dock and onto the beach ignoring the calls from his crew as he ran into the forest his ears heightened listening for water and going towards there.

Levy had taken head to his cautions and picked a place that was abandoned as she sat on the edge of the rocks naked in full glory as she splashed her feet into the pool. Her skin was an earthly green and her ears peeking higher from behind her blue hair as her fingers skimmed the water. She felt she was able to breathe easier now, she loved being on the sea but being on land was where she belonged so she stayed longer than she should have. But not like he would miss her which made Levy ach slightly in her heart, in which the boy she thought and dreamed about for years had changed him so much, but Levy didn't lose hope.

There were moments she had gone past the iron wall that the Great Iron Dragon Gajeel had built around himself, the things Panther Lily had told her made her understand better why he was how he was. The betrayal someone to go through for over twenty years was something she wanted to help him with but only if he let her. Levy would do her best to show him that others could be trusted but it all mattered what he decided in the end like always and it did seem she was finally cracking through but were always shut out.

Levy sighed as she stretched pushing the thoughts of him out as she rubbed her skin with water and some leaves she found to give it what it needed to handle the magic; she hated the human magic she had to put on it was suffocating at times, but it gave her more freedom ever so that's why when she heard the running and rumbling of the bushes she didn't really think much of it in the beginning but as the yell of her name cracked through the air and she turned to see him standing there panting their eyes connecting at that moment she screamed and dove into the water hearing as he yelled apologizing and the sound of the slap of his hand over his eyes, slowly she came up peeking over the rocks to see him standing back to her.

"Why are you here?" she slowly said watching him she knew Gajeel wasn't a pervert but it was strange behavior of him but he had been acting strangely to her for a while it seemed as well buut even so him standing there yelling for her was like a dream come true or a nightmare depending on his mood. "Its okay Gajeel you won't see anything." Slowly he turned to see her in the water her body covered with it.

It was the first time since that moment she was able to sit in his hands that he saw what she really looked like. Dark green skin and bright blue hair with bright brown eyes, it was almost alien how she looked. Gajeel wouldn't say beautiful but she was attractive as he came closer.

"Thought ya got kidnapped." He said the truth watching the surprise come onto her face, her small hand touching her neck a habit she had at times.

"I thought you didn't care about that." She laughed smiling at him. Gajeel shrugged not saying anything, "You can join me if you want I need help with my back." Her heart pounded as she did this baths like this were regular for fairies but fairies were different when it came to gender than humans and even thought she knew Gajeel didn't see her as a "woman" she could see his face flush as he glared at her.

"Okay I need a bath Lily keeps saying I stink. I don't stink!" he laughed a bit which caused Levy to laugh as well her hand over her mouth as she closed her eyes.

"I won't watch."

It seemed like he was done in seconds before she heard him settle into the water. "It's warm" he mumbled as he moved. It was a small pool so there wasn't much room, their legs touched and she felt herself grow hotter.

"I used some magic and fire I hate cold baths."

"Heh comes in handy." In that moment she handed him a rock and a leaf he gave her a strange look as she just smiled.

"It's what fairies use."

He just nodded she could see he was being careful of his warms, since iron and fairies did not mix it was something they learned the hard way one day as the ship tumbled from a storm and his arm landed on her causing her skin to burn and smoke, on her stomach where it happened a small burned existed, but she never told him of course she sighed as he started to rub it was a strange sensation to be where they were now. Levy never could dream she would ever see him think of her as his friend let alone bathing with him, her feelings were different while he was just finally acknowledging her.

She minded this but it was how life was so she dealt with it.

But her mind jogged forth as his finger touched the huge scar on her shoulder, the roughness of it on her sensitive skin felt like pinpricks that she gave a hiss. Gajeel's eyes widen when she did that and pulled back.

"It's okay!" she called out, "the skin is still sensitive."

"Really…" he said in a soft voice that caused Levy to look over her shoulder at him. "Ya even remember who I am?" he stared at her regretting all of this, he wasn't this kind of person never one to think about the pass let along bath with a woman, a fairy! Gajeel had promised himself no ties to anyone ever it would only end in trouble, but seemed like this woman's mission was to be trouble no matter what.

"I do Gajeel." She smiled her hand reaching up he stared at the contrast of their skin, her green skin that seemed dark and light at the same time while his was a dark brown so different from the paleness she usually wore. "I do." Her voice heavy with emotion, "thank you."

"For what?"

"You gave me freedom in more ways that day." And he wasn't sure what to say he was not one that could speak his feelings, he didn't want to let along know how too. He wondered if she could deal with that as he slowly leaned closer to her, he could see her bones through her skin sharp and pointy she was so unearthly even thought she was from the earth and with that thought in his mind his lips, cracked and hard pressed onto the sensitive light green of her scar her dead wings fluttering against his chest as she hummed.

Things would be hard, Gajeel was not use to words or how to speak his feelings too much had built the iron wall around his heart but Levy didn't mind as she turned around, she had gotten to know the man outside the one she thought about the last ten years; The gruff, rough, sometimes cruel man that had a hidden sensitive side that many didn't know about as she leaned up her boney hands and fingers cupping his face.

She was an irritating know it all fairy, a woman that seemed to not care of social orders or taking orders as she did what she wanted. Not knowing that even the village idiot would see that she was a fairy not some kind of pixie she claimed she was to others even though he wasn't sure of the different and the look she gave when he confessed that. She was smart and sensitive and someone that didn't take his words to heart as he leaned down then letting their hot breaths mixing.

Maybe it was a mistake, they would regret it but as their mouths touched in the cool pool of water under the hot sun none of that mattered right then.

They were each other's exceptions and that's all that mattered.


End file.
